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Coronavirus Updates: NJ COVID-19 Cases Dip Below 2,000, As "All Options Are On The Table" To Fight Spread

By

Sophia Chang

and

David Cruz

Published Oct 31, 2020

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Signs displaying the numbers of recovered COVID-19 patients are displayed at an entrance to Bellevue Hospital in New York.

 

Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock

By

Sophia Chang

and

David Cruz

Published Oct 31, 2020

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This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Saturday, October 31st, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 4 of reopening now, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and gyms. Certain parts of Brooklyn and Queens are under a zoned shutdown. Get answers to questions you may have with our "Ask An Epidemiologist" series, or learn more about NYC COVID-19 testing options with our explainer. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here's the latest:

New Jersey health officials reported 1,297 new COVID-19 cases -- roughly 700 cases fewer than Friday -- just as Governor Phil Murphy warns the state is considering closing restaurants for indoor dining.

"All options are on the table," Murphy reportedly said on Friday.

As the state saw 12 more deaths linked to COVID-19, it also saw COVID-19 cases above 1,000 for a 14th straight day.

Last month, Murphy allowed bars and restaurants to reopen at 25% max capacity, easing restrictions in a move intended to generate economic activity. But as the state witnessed its COVID-19 numbers creep up -- with New Jersey averaging about 1,600 cases a day -- Murphy is now looking to retreat from gains made. Cities across the state have already imposed their own restrictions, with Newark and Paterson initiating an 8 p.m. curfew for businesses.

His warnings come amid efforts by the Garden State to stymie a second wave of COVID-19 cases that could lead to even more deaths and economic loss. It can also spell problems for neighboring states, including New York and Connecticut, which are also seeing increases in the number of cases.

Despite Murphy's belief that a second wave is coming, he was not yet ready to say the recent upticks are "uncontrollable," according to NJ.com. He suggested that wearing masks and social distancing are good deterrents to fighting the spread.

The most recent data shows New Jersey to have a 5.15% positivity rate.

Brooklyn's Red Zone COVID-19 Rate Moves Above 5% Once Again

1:45 p.m.: Despite a slight uptick in COVID-19 rates in south Brooklyn's red zone Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo hailed recent enforcement actions as successful.

"We got their attention in the red zones. And the increased enforcement caught their attention, and the resurgence got their attention," he said at his Saturday phone briefing with reporters.

"They are displeased with me," he said of the pushback his policies garnered as businesses and schools in the red and orange zones closed for four weeks. "But the infection rate came down and I believe lives will be saved, and therefore I believe I did my job."

Brooklyn's red zone reported 5.24% positivity Friday with a current 7-day rolling average of 3.87% positive rate. New York City as a whole had a 1.3% positive test rate Friday. The state's overall positive testing rate Friday was 1.49%, and outside of the zones where rates are higher, the state is testing at 1.3%, Cuomo announced. The micro-cluster zones of concern had an overall 3.01% positive rate.

Eight New Yorkers died Friday, including one person in Brooklyn and one person in Staten Island.

Within the micro-cluster zones, there were 15,493 test results reported Friday with 467 positive tests. The rest of the state had 121,469 tests reported Friday with 1,582 positive tests. There were 1,121 patients hospitalized, an increase of 36 over Thursday. There were 147 newly admitted patients to hospitals in 47 counties, and 248 patients in intensive care, an increase of 5 people from Thursday. Of those in the intensive care units, 122 patients were reported to be intubated, an increase of 6 patients from Thursday.

Cuomo announced Friday that the private and public schools in the red and orange zones, which had been ordered to close four weeks ago to stem the spread of coronavirus, can now reopen with stricter guidance on testing.

Tagged

COVID-19

Governor Andrew Cuomo

covid-19 updates

Sophia Chang

Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.

Read more

David Cruz

David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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